Hosted by Michael Barbaro and Sabrina . Prophecy is necessary because Gods thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways. Daniel boiled down his vision to its essence, so we would not fail to understand the message he meant to convey to us. As Daniel watches, the wings are torn off the beast, and the creature stands erect like a man and a human mind is given to it. During those days the revived Roman empire will be ruled by a confederation of ten kings as described by the ten toes of the statue of Daniel 2 and the ten horns of Daniels dream. Those of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, and Darius all agree with the prophecy of Daniel 7. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it. Prophecy speaks not only of the joys and glories of Gods kingdom to come but of the suffering and tribulation preceding the eternal blessings of the kingdom of God. Unfortunately, the king did not heed the dreams warning, and his kingdom was taken away for a time. Neither is prophecy written to make us happy or to feel good. 9 I kept looking until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow, And the hair of His head like pure wool. This is represented by the four heads on Daniels leopard beast. 2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. King Nebuchadnezzar died apparently nine years before Belshazzar came to power. 1:17) that Daniel had understanding in dreams; and here we have an early and eminent instance of it, which soon made him famous in the court of Babylon, as Joseph by the same means came to be so in the court of Egypt. Through the vision of a magnificent, awe-inspiring statue, God reveals the future for Gentile kings and their kingdoms. In Revelation it is also referred to as 42 months and 1260 days which all work out to 3 years. He staying the decree is brought to the king. Specifically, the account of The Bad News at Belshazzars Banquet (not a bad title for that lesson) in chapter 5 was given to us so that we could better understand the prophecies of chapters 7 and 8. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints (Revelation 13:1-10). All distinctions of race and colour and nationality are stripped away and one apparently human figure represents the whole human race. Joyce C. Baldwin, Daniel: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1978), p. 150. I did not include the insert today because I have already included it several times. 23 Thus he said: The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. (7) Prophecy is revealed, not to give us the particulars of things to come, but to change our perspective. Peter reminds us of Gods patience, but His patience has a determined end. Twice in chapter 7 Daniel speaks of his distress: As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me (verse 15). Through this dream, King Nebuchadnezzar learned that only God's Kingdom will last forever. In Daniels dream the Roman empire was represented by such a terrible beast that Daniel could name no animal which fit its description. Episode 5 of "How I Met Your Father" Season 2 tested the friendships of everyone in the group. So King Nebuchadnezzar honored God's men. Students will learn that they can trust God in difficult times because in the end God wins the battle over the enemy of this world Satan. (11) A distinction is made between God the Fatherthe Ancient of Days and God the Sonthe Son of Manwith both playing a part in the establishment of the kingdom. God answered Daniel's prayer, and Daniel praised the Lord (Dan 2:19-23). Daniel uses the expression Son of man twice. God may choose to delay judgment on the wicked until their sin reaches full bloom; the possession of the land of Canaan would not happen in Abrahams lifetime, but more than 400 years later after the suffering of the people of God (see Genesis 15:12-17). The beast was lifted up and made to stand like a man. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, Arise, devour much meat! 6 After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. Daniels dream here in chapter 7 and Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter 2 are one and the same dream with additional details added to Daniels dream. They acknowledging their inability are judged to die. Nevertheless, Daniel tells no one, keeping the matter to himself and suffering a quiet agony over the future events God has revealed to him. (6) How important is it for us to identity the kings and the kingdoms mentioned in our text? But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come. (Daniel 7:1718, NASB95)[2] The four beasts that Daniel saw in his dream were four kings and represented the four kingdoms of these kings. The beasts are hardly worthy of prose, but the court of heaven deserves a description of the finest words. Those who rejected the Lord Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of Man, would mourn when they saw Him returning in the clouds: And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30). The statue has four parts; there are four beasts. (4) Suffering is to be expected by the saints, before they enter into the glorious kingdom of God. Those who will reign with Christ are those who have suffered (see Romans 8:17; Philippians 3:10-11; 2 Timothy 2:12). What God declares in prophecy, He reveals as well in history. (7) Who is the Ancient of Days? He could not figure out what the dream meant, so he wanted his advisors to explain it to him. Consider these lessons as we conclude. The fourth beast appears to differ from the other three in that he is more beastly, more powerful, more destructive, and more arrogant. But in the end, God will judge the wicked and establish His kingdom for His saints. (3) What principles should guide and govern our attempt to interpret the prophecy of this chapter? I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. Daniel approached one of theses angels and began to ask him to explain to him the meaning or the truth concerning all that he had seen in his visions. If taken seriously, we will find the future sobering as well. This kings boasting turns to blasphemy. He wants to know more about this dreadful beast, different from the rest, especially in the destruction he wrought. Nebuchadnezzar may have started badly, but by the time we read of him in Daniel 4 he seems to be a true believer in God, urging the citizens of his kingdom to worship and serve Him. 3 And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. 5. His disciples were promised that they would share in His reign as King (19:20). The vision plays on before Daniel, almost as though in answer to his desire to know more. We know that Jesus came the first time to die and that He will come again to subdue His enemies and establish His kingdom. God also allows the wicked to persist and even to prosper, so that those whom He has chosen might be saved (Romans 9:22-24). This part of Daniels dream is new information that was not conveyed in Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter two. The third portion of the statue in Daniel 2 was the belly and thighs of bronze which represented the Greek empire. 9:1; 12:1, AV, RV), and the book of Daniel insists here and in subsequent chapters (8:27; 10:1, 10, 11, 15, 18) on the anxiety and psychological turmoil involved in receiving, even at Gods hand, understanding of the future course of history. Joyce C. Baldwin, Daniel: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1978), p. 143. Nebuchadnezzar became distressed when he received his first night vision (2:1) because he did understand some of his dream. The final push of the times of the Gentiles will last for 3 years, then the end will come, the end of the times of the Gentiles., THE JUDGMENT AND THE FIFTH KINGDOM (Daniel 7:26-27). If, in Gods eyes, a day is as 1,000 years and 1,000 years as a day (2 Peter 3:8), then the coming of our Lord has only been a few days from beginning to end. (5) Prophecy is not written as hype but revealed to produce the hope of glory and endurance in present tribulation. The words of Daniel which applied to the beasts now found application to them. This designation refers to God the Father in a way that stresses His eternality, dignity, and power. An eleventh king then rises to power, different from the others, replacing three of the previous kings. Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. Daniel was given several prophetic dreams & visions; and in the seventh chapter of his writings, he records his dream of the Four Beasts, and the interpretation thereof given by an angel.This vision demonstrates the succession of kingdoms and is the very framework of all prophesy regarding the violent opposition against the Kingdom of God - waged by the Kingdom of Satan, who is allowed to . The third beast is leopard-like, with four wings and four heads, and it is given dominion. Eugene, Ore. : Harvest House Publishers, 2006, [5]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. He will persecute and oppress the saints of the Highest One, the angel says that he will wear them down; the idea comes from the concept of wearing out a garment until it is threadbare. When that day comes for them, it is too late to repent. What God determined to reveal to Daniel should be enough for us. At-A-Glance 1. Neither peer opposition nor the king's new law (chapter 6) greatly disturbed Daniel. 1 John 3:1-3 says, See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. The vision recorded in chapter 8 took place in the third year of Belshazzar. (2) Chapters 7 and 8, while written in different languages, are written during the reign of Belshazzar and somehow linked by the author in Daniel 8:1. Gods plan and program are carried out on His schedule, not ours (see 2 Peter 2:8-10). Gogglebox star Stephen explained the reason for him and husband Daniel Lustif missing the show on Instagram. Does this dream have any significance for us? God would strike him down suddenly too and bring his kingdom to a swift end. 3:15; Zc. Then, in Daniel 2, the Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream that only Daniel could interpret. Children need to know that as believers, we are on the winning team and God wins in the end. Nebuchadnezzar's Threat One night, Nebuchadnezzar awoke frightened by a dream. The boastful beast becomes even more aggressive, waging war with the saints and even overpowering them. The second time, the expression is used in reference to Daniel himself, as it will be used very frequently in Ezekiel to refer to this great prophet: So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end (Daniel 8:17). Verse 2. The lesson was prepared for older students. We could never predict the goals God has determined, nor the means He has ordained for history to reach them. We should note Daniels distress in chapter 7 before turning to the other prophecies in Daniel, where we will find that prophecy very often produces distress. The wicked will prosper and appear to get away with their opposition toward God and His saints. (1) Prophecy is necessary because God has chosen to settle His accounts with men slowly. A true account of what happened can only be gathered by reading Daniel 2:18; Daniel 2:28 by the side of this verse. Dan 2:1-4 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. These horns are also kings, from whom kingdoms arise (verse 24). Prophecy is revealed to men to change their perspective, to urge them to see things as God sees them rather than as they appear to the human eye. Introduction to Daniel 11 When Jesus came, He embraced this expression as a designation for Himself, giving the term meaning vastly beyond that previously held by any Jew. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:89, NASB95)[7] You have a responsibility because you know what the end will bring. 1. When we expect it least, the Lord will return, the wicked will be punished, and the kingdom of God established forevermore. Then the saints will receive the kingdom which will never end. When the sin and oppression of evil men reaches a predetermined point, God will remove them and establish His promised eternal kingdom. While most of those in this kingdom may not have had a true conversion, at least they tolerated the Jewish faith as the religion of the state. Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. 4 The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. Prophecies are given so that we may look at history, especially events occurring in our own lifetime, from Gods perspective. He would, after His death, burial, and resurrection come in His glory, rewarding men according to their deeds (16:27). Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Daniel tells him, was about a statue with a golden head, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, and legs of iron, which is crushed by a giant stone, which itself becomes a mountain (vv. Daniel writes that at this point the revelation was ended. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. Because of this we can have a greater understanding of this dream than Daniel did. While God tells neither Daniel nor us that this beast represents Nebuchadnezzar, He does reveal that the head of gold in the vision of the great statue was Nebuchadnezzar (2:36-38). Daniels vision ends here, but its impact on him does not end. Where it has not caused distress, it should have. The saints should neither believe nor behave on the basis of how things appear to be (the wicked prospering and prevailing over the righteous). The beast also was given a mans mind. Some of his alarm arose from his not yet having been given the interpretation of his vision. 78 Walvoord thinks this is the year 553 B.C., some 14 years before the fall of Babylon. (7) No identification is made of the saints as Jews or Gentiles. There seems to be no Jewish nationalistic emphasis here, as there will be later.75. 26 But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. The three and a half years referred to here in Daniel is the last half of the tribulation, also called the Great Tribulation and the Time of Jacobs Trouble. During this ten-nation confederation another ruler will rise as described by the little horn. That night his life and his kingdom came to an end. Prophecy greatly benefits the Christian because it enables him to see things from the bigger and broader perspectivefrom Gods perspectiveso that when he suffers, he knows it is but a part of the process of getting to glory. 77 According to Baldwin, This verse [13] has been the subject of more scholarly papers than any other in the book, so indicating its centrality, not only for Daniel but for the New Testament also. Baldwin, p. 142. The fourth beast is a fourth king, different than the others. (19-26) Daniel explains the rise and coming fall of Nebuchadnezzar. Other biblical prophecies bear on the prophecies of Daniel, particularly preceding or contemporary prophecies. The righteous will suffer. The prophecies of Daniel 7 speak of a future day of reckoning, foreshadowed by the actions of Belshazzar and the judgment of God on him and his kingdom. As the saints suffer at the hands of the wicked, it may appear all hope is lost. Should we be troubled as well? She makes it clear in a rather public fashion that she finds him desirable. It seems safe to assume the interpreter was an angelic being; at least this is the case in chapter 8 (8:15-26). A night vision is given to king Nebuchadnezzar, apparently early in his reign as king of Babylon. Before the coming of Christ, who would? In chapter 5, King Belshazzars dream should have greatly alarmed him, but apparantly it did not. As Daniel watches, "four great beasts," each different from the others, emerge from the dark waters (verse 3). They are far from pleasant but an unavoidable part of the process. The final words of verse 25 are carefully chosen to let the reader know that while this king appears to be successfully opposing God, all he does is a part of the divine plan for the last days. How easily we turn from what is revealed to speculate about what has been concealed (see Deuteronomy 29:29). So they came and stood before the king. Daniel was an intelligent young Jew living in Jerusalem during the late 600s B.C. in 1971. If a man cannot remember the dream he saw (it means): his (personal) god is angry with him. 10 A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, and the books were opened. When the child is born, the pains of suffering are quickly lost in the joys of seeing a new life. When his appointed time is over, God will destroy this king and his kingdom and establish His eternal kingdom on the earth. Interpretations of Daniels prophecies differ widely. Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him. At this point the revelation ended. And the high priest said to Him, I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus said to him, You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, AND COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN (Matthew 26:59-64). At the outset of the account of his vision, Daniel wants his reader to know the historical context in which this prophecy was given and to consider its interpretation and application in the light of that context. Chapter 7 reveals in broad terms what the future holds. In those days, as in our own, there are always those are too quick to conclude that the kingdom of God has come (see Matthew 24:4, 6, 8, 24-28; 2 Thessalonians 2:1ff.). 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